BACK TO WHERE IT ALL STARTED
India’s new journey under Shastri begins at Galle
Galle, July 25: India will look to extend their domination in Tests when they take on a jaded Sri Lanka in the first game of a threematch series starting here on Wednesday, back to a place where they were humiliated before soaring to world No.1.
Virat Kohli and Co. would be keen to avenge their embarrassing loss at the Galle International Stadium in 2015 when they crashed to an embarrassing loss on day four after being bowled out for 112 while chasing 176.
A lot has changed since then as a young and aggressive Kohli has turned into a mature captain, who has led the side to 12 wins out of 17 Tests against West Indies, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia in 2016-17 season.
The Indian team will be looking to take that confidence into this threematch series, which heralds the onset of a new season, and more importantly, another overseas cycle.
It also marks the second coming of Ravi Shastri at the helm of affairs. The team has been on-tour for five days now, and collectively they seem to have put the entire saga of Anil Kumble’s premature departure as well as the dramatic coach- selection process behind them.
With Shastri back in charge, along with Bharath Arun guiding the bowlers, there is atleast a familiarity about the team’s setting. It is perhaps the only positive aspect of this lengthy, at times distasteful, saga.
In that light, Shastri will also be wary about what playing at Galle entails for visiting teams. It was the ‘team director’ who had roused his hurting troops before the second Test in Colombo, and it worked just fine as India rallied from 1-0 down to take the series 2-1.
It was the first taste of victory away from home for this young team, as also a welcome change in results after successive losses experienced in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia previously.
As such, that series win not only marked the culmination of a learning process but also laid down the path for an impressive record in the next two years. Combining the 201516 and 2016-17 seasons, India have lost only one out of 23 Tests (against Australia at Pune) since that defeat in Galle.
This superlative run has bred certain all-round consistency within the squad, starting from the top of its batting line-up until the very end. So much so that the bench strength is replete with ready-made options.
It is the reason why the team management is not utterly worried even as KL Rahul has been ruled out of the first Test owing to viral fever. The Karnataka-opener was just returning to the international arena after recuperating from a shoulder injury that kept him out of action since March, when he was laid low again after the two-day practice match in Colombo. —